I followed the others into Mrs. Chakoté’s office like a condemned prisoner heading for my execution.
Are we about the get in trouble, all because of me? If I hadn’t pointed out that little red monster, we would have never gone to the stone wall to investigate. What if Mrs. Chakoté expels us for being near the Crypt? What if she calls my parents? What if . . .The what-ifs ran wild through my mind, the ANTs slowly crushing any hope. I tried box-breathing, inhaling for a count of five, waiting for five, then exhaling for a slow five count, and repeated. As I breathed, I focused on my pulse and tried to slow it down, but my heart didn’t obey. It pounded in my ears like a huge bass drum, skin prickling with dread as if it itched from the inside.
I shuddered as we crowded into her small office and sat on an old, gray sofa, the material scratchy and rough. The furniture, meant for three, proved to be a tight fit for the four of us, Leonard’s muscular bulk and Bobby’s size, making it uncomfortable.
Slowly, I brought my gaze from the ground to Mrs. Chakoté, expecting to see an angry scowl, but to my surprise, she didn’t look mad. Instead, the old woman seemed . . . scared.
Her worried gaze bored into us, then a questioning eyebrow raised. “Where’s Karl?”
“He thought a nap under a tree would be a better use of his time,” Bobby said.
“A nap, huh?” She glared at Bobby as if it were his fault. “We’ll see about that.”
Walking behind her desk, Mrs. Chakoté sat down, then reached toward a large bookcase lining one wall. Countless volumes filled the shelves, the books organized by size like schoolchildren waiting for the bus. She slid a leather-bound, dusty book out from between two black tomes. A small cloud of dust puffed out when she dropped it onto her desk with a thud. Across the front, in gold letters, it said Book of Stones. Seven circles, each a different color, adorned the cover, their hues faded with time. As she opened it, the leather binding creaked, complaining of the many years on the shelf.
Mrs. Chakoté brought her steely gaze to us. “Tell me what you saw by the Crypt.” She flipped through the book, the binding creaking, and the pages stiff with age.
I glanced at my companions, each looking somewhere in the room other than toward Chakoté or me. Obviously, none of them wanted to speak, nor did I. No one would believe what we saw.
I swallowed, my throat dry and scratchy, like a crusty piece of sandpaper, and started to speak, but Elisa cut me off.
“We saw something impossible, like creatures from a fairy tale,” she said. “One looked like a little flying devil, and the other had long, pointed ears and sharp teeth. They shouldn’t exist . . . but they did. I’ve never seen these things before, but I’ve heard my grandparents and great-grandparents talk about them. I figured those tales were just a Creole thing, you know, like old stories and myths, but—”
“You saw an imp and a gremlin, and they do exist,” Chakoté said. “And you’re right; they’re from old stories.” Mrs. Chakoté flipped the book around and pushed it toward us. “That’s because gremlins have been here for a long time. Here’s a picture.”
We stood and gathered around the book to see the image. It showed a small creature with long, muscular arms, terrible-looking claws at the end of each finger and toe, needle-like teeth, and large, pointed ears. Its skin looked like the color of dried blood, rough and leathery.
I shuddered.
“Have you ever lost something and searched everywhere for it but couldn’t find it?” Chakoté asked.
“Sure,” we replied.
“And then you looked in the place you just checked, and suddenly the object was back where you put it?”
“Hey, yeah, that happened to me last week during robotics class,” Bobby said.
“Gremlin children think that’s funny. They do it all the time.” Chakoté frowned. “The smallest Agarthan creatures can come to Earth and cause mischief, then return to their world any time they want. It’s like a game to them.”
Bobby looked up from the book. “But I didn’t see any gremlins in the robotics class.”
“That’s right, Bobby, you saw nothing.” Chakoté stepped out from behind the desk and stood next to Elisa. “When you stare straight at a gremlin or imp or goblin or any of the other creatures of Agartha, you can’t see them. But out of the corner of your eye, you can.”
“Is that why sometimes I think there’s something there, but when I turn, I see nothing?” I asked.
The old woman nodded, then tapped her cane on the floor. “Yes, we can see them with our peripheral vision, you know, at the edge of our sight.”
“But Mrs. Chakoté, we stared straight at those monsters near the Crypt, and we all saw them.” Leonard turned the page of the book. An image of an imp stared at us from the yellowed parchment, the small devil-looking creature fully equipped with horns and a pointed tail but also with claws and tiny wings.
The color of its skin reminded me of the roses my mom liked so much.
“That’s exactly why I’m concerned, Leonard. It can only mean one thing, and that thought terrifies me.” She scowled down at the image of the page.
“Why does this terrify you?” I knew the answer wouldn’t be good. The hornets grew restless in the back of my mind. “What’s so bad about seeing a gremlin and an imp?”
“Kids, sit down. Let me tell you a story.” Mrs. Chakoté motioned to the sofa, and we all squeezed back on, me crushed against the arm.
“Long, long ago, many centuries before the French came to this part of Louisiana, Earth was aligned with another world from a parallel universe. That world is called Agartha. Many doorways connected the two worlds, they always existed underground on the Earth side, in a deep cave or tunnel.” She flipped through the book’s pages until she found an image of many creatures. Holding it up, she showed it to the kids. “Agartha is filled with gremlins and imps, as you know, but also goblins, gnomes, banshees, harpies, faeries, elves . . .”
“All the creatures from fables and fairytales?” Bobby asked.
Mrs. Chakoté nodded her head. “Yes, but you must realize . . . many of those stories are true.”
“Like Odysseus fighting a cyclops?” Leonard asked.
“Or Perseus battling with Medusa?” I glanced at Chakoté, fear nibbling at the edge of my senses. What if, somehow, Medusa was still alive? The hornets grew louder.
Mrs. Chakoté raised a hand, silencing us. “You see, all these creatures are real, and many centuries ago, when our worlds were more closely aligned, they could pass back and forth through the doorways. This is why they live in our ancient histories and fables . . . they were here.”
“But not anymore, right?” Leonard asked.
“Correct. Only gremlin children can move from world to world, but not anything else. Occasionally, the planets align again, and the doorways open, but only for a short time. The last time this happened was in 1788, and the Agarthans brought destruction.”
“The Great New Orleans Fire.” Elisa’s words came out soft and tense. “I’ve heard stories about it.”
The old woman nodded. “That’s right, Elisa.” Chakoté ran her fingers through her long, gray hair. “The Agarthans caused the Great New Orleans Fire and many other tragedies across the Earth. There’s a group of people who’ve dedicated their lives to combatting the creatures of Agartha.” She reached into her blouse and pulled out a necklace. A silver bar hung from the chain, seven colorful stones mounted into the shiny metal. “We’re called the Order of the Stones. We watch, we train our children, and we prepare.”
“So, let’s call them.” Bobby stood as if he’d solved the problem. “Let this Order of Rocks take care of it.”
“It’s the Order of the Stones, and we’ve been expecting something to happen soon. The risk is always the highest during a Blood Moon. The Council expected a gateway to open near Salt Lake City. They sent our warriors there.” She put the necklace back under her blouse. “I’m the only one of the Order still here, but I’m old and no longer the warrior I used to be.”
“Warrior . . . you?” My voice rose with surprise.
“Yes, me.” She scowled, making me lower my gaze.
“Now, listen carefully.” Mrs. Chakoté moved closer and lowered her voice. “You’ve seen the imp and gremlin, and they’ve seen you. They have your scent now. Likely, they’ll send more creatures through the doorway to find the seven Skull Keys. With these stone skulls, the Agarthans can keep the doorway between worlds open forever. But since they have your scent now, they’ll send creatures after you four. The Agarthans will be afraid that you may alert the Order, or maybe the army, or . . . I don’t know; Agarthans can be a bit paranoid. They’ll see you as a threat that must be eliminated. Whether you want to be part of this or not, you are. The creatures of Agartha don’t care about you or me or anyone on Earth. They just want to come here and cause chaos, or worse. You four must help me stop them.”
“But we can’t do anything.” Elisa shook her head. “We aren’t warriors; we’re just kids.”
“We are who we believe we can be,” Bobby said, his voice strong and confident.
“Very true, Bobby, very true.” The old woman cast Bobby a smile.
“I don’t know.” I shook my head. “We can’t fight those things. We might get in trouble.”
“I’m the director of this camp, Cameron. Nothing will happen to you.”
“But what if something bad happens?” I glanced at my friends. “We could still get in trouble with the other camp counselors.”
Chakoté rolled her eyes. “There are more important things going on here.”
“If they’re so important, why don’t you call the police or the army?” Leonard leaned forward, staring at the old woman.
“You and I both know they’d never believe us.” Chakoté shook her head. “No, we must deal with it, or many will suffer.”
“But why us?” Elisa asked. “You could get some of the older kids to help.”
“Because you were chosen.” Mrs. Chakoté stepped around her desk and stood in front of us. She grabbed the gnarled handle of her cane and slid it closer, then held the crooked staff in front of Leonard; the purple Amethyst stone embedded in the cane gave off a lavender glow. She then moved the cane to Bobby. The Green Aventurine stone glowed with an emerald hue. Leaning the cane toward Elisa, the Carnelian stone blushed, painting the walls with an orange tint. Finally, Mrs. Chakoté pointed the wooden shaft at me. The quartz stone, clear as glass, burst with bright white light, the glare too intense for my eyes.
The director lowered her cane, the stone dimming until it was just a decorative thing again.
“One thing you must realize about the Order of the Stones: our chief weapon is magic, Earth-magic to be specific.” Chakoté paused, waiting for our questions.
“Magic . . . really?” Bobby said. “Come on, that’s kinda far-fetched, don’t you think?”
Mrs. Chakoté shook her head. “The Order of the Stones comprises many people, each with a specific skill. We’re closely linked to the magic that lives within the Earth, and we’ve learned how to wield that power.”
“You mean you can put an enchantment on someone?” Elisa asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
The old woman shook her head. “People who can cast spells and enchantments are called Casters. I’m not one of them. I’m a Warrior of the Order, and I can use enchanted weapons.”
She held her cane up for a moment, her wrinkled hand gripping it tightly. With a sudden movement, she brought the tip of the cane down to the floor, the sound of the impact exploding through the room. As the crooked wood hit the ground, a burst of energy shot forth from the colorful Chakra stones embedded along its length. The blast of light was so intense, brighter than the sun, it dazzled my eyes and left me momentarily blinded. The air around us crackled from the raw power of the blast, and I felt the energy coursing through the room like an electrical current. As the light faded and my sight returned, I looked up at Mrs. Chakoté with awe.
Chakoté pulled a lock of gray hair out of her face and tucked it behind an ear. “Earth-magic is almost like a living thing. It must have felt the barrier between Earth and Agartha getting thinner. The magic of the Earth brought you five together for a reason.” She moved back around her desk and sat, her cane still in her hand. “The Earth chose the five of you to defend the New Orleans against this threat.”
“This all sounds ridiculous,” Leonard said. “I don’t believe in magic. I believe in things I can’t touch or feel.”
“Can you feel the Earth rotating or moving around the sun?” Chakoté asked. “We know it happens, but we can’t feel it. It’s the same with Magic. Just because you can’t see or feel something, that doesn’t mean it’s not there.”
Leonard nodded and remained silent.
“You may not know there’s Earth-magic in your cells, but it’s there, or you wouldn’t have been chosen. Someday, you might learn how to use your magic and become a Caster for the Order of the Stones. For now, you’re our only hope.”
“What about Karl?” Elisa asked.
Chakoté nodded. “He has it as well, though I doubt he’ll believe it.” She took a drink from a bottle of water, then continued. “Many centuries ago, the order sent its strongest Casters to the many gateways across the Earth. Using magic from the gateway, they formed the skull keys, making the Keys forever linked to their specific doorway. These keys would let us close the After the Great New Orleans Fire, the Order hid the Skull Keys here in the catacombs and caverns under the Crypt. They did this for all the gateways across the globe. The Demon Lord has chosen the doorway at Camp Pontchartrain as his target. That terrible monster will surely send his minions into the tunnels searching for them. If he can find all seven Keys, he can keep the doorway between Earth and Agartha open forever.”
“Why not just take the Skull Keys to the farthest reaches on Earth?” Bobby asked. “You could put one on top of Mount Everest, maybe throw one in a volcano, dump some in the deepest part of the ocean, and—”
Mrs. Chakoté raised a hand, stopping Bobby. “Because the magic in the Skull Keys came from the doorway, we cannot move the Keys very far away. Casters tried to break the connection between the keys and the doorway, but it proved impossible. Our only choice was to hide them from the monsters of Agartha. We dug the catacombs under the Crypt and hid them as best we could, surrounding the skulls with lethal traps.” She took a deep breath and moved her gaze across each of us, a sympathetic expression on her face. “If you can find the Keys and protect them, the doorway will close at the end of the Super Blood Moon tomorrow night, and we’ll have stopped the Agarthans. But if we fail . . . the largest creatures of Agartha can pass through to Earth and stay here forever.”
I shuddered. This whole thing terrified me. What if those monsters attack us? What if the gremlin uses that whip on us, or maybe its claws, or . . . Every possible and impossible negative thought automatically cycled through my head. The ANTs gnawed at my courage until the only thing left was a hollow emptiness within my chest. I felt like a coward before anything had even happened.
I’m pathetic.
“You kids can decide what you want to do after dinner. I won’t force you to help me.” Mrs. Chakoté leaned her cane against the desk, then grabbed the ancient book and slammed it closed.
BAM
The sound made us jump with a start.
“If I must battle these creatures alone, then so be it. For now, go rest.” She replaced the heavy book to the bookshelf, then grabbed her cane and tapped it lightly on the ground. The colored stones flashed, each splashing a bit of color on the dreary walls of her office.
“After dinner, I need all of you to search for the Skull Keys in the catacombs under the Crypt, if you’re up to this challenge. You must keep these keys from the Agarthans. If they find all seven, they’ll keep the doorway between worlds open forever. The Demon Lord of Agartha will order his forces to destroy Camp Pontchartrain, then New Orleans, then . . . who knows how much they’ll annihilate.” Chakoté pulled strands of gray hair from her face and tucked them behind an ear, her body tense. “I have much to do and little time to do it.” She leaned across the desk and stared at us. “Make no mistake, dire times are on our doorstep, and I doubt I can stop the Agarthans all alone. But I’ll try if I must.” Mrs. Chakoté pointed to the door. “I’ll have some supplies that might prove helpful for your search. They’ll be waiting for you at the barn, so stop there first before heading for the Crypt. But know this—if the Demon Lord gets hold of a certain item within these supplies, it’ll be over, and the Agarthans will win.”
“What’s so important?” I asked as I ran my fingers through my hair, feeling nervous.
“You’ll know when you see it, and you’ll realize why it’s so important.” Mrs. Chakoté leaned forward, her piercing grey eyes boring into me. “Destroy it before letting Malphas have it . . . understood?”
I nodded.
“Good.” Chakoté stood and tapped her cane on the ground, signifying the meeting was over. “Now, go get some rest. Dinner will start soon.”
We left her office and headed for our cabins, each of us silently processing what we’d just learned.
What I’d seen by the Crypt was both exhilarating and terrifying. I had a choice to make: try to stop the monsters from Agartha, or hide in the shadows and let them burn New Orleans and Camp Pontchartrain to the ground as they did two hundred and thirty-seven years ago.
Instead of going to my cabin to rest, I headed for the library building. Kids filled the chairs and sofas, many goofing off. The librarians tried desperately to maintain control, but it looked like a losing battle.
With a shudder, I sat in a deserted corner, hopefully out of sight from those who’d pick on me just because they could. Closing my eyes, I brought up the memory of the gremlin and imp. Thoughts of what might happen filled me with dread.
But then, I felt an evil presence lingering at the edge of my senses. It was something dark and terrible, a creature of pure evil somehow watching me. An eerie chill crept over me, the biting cold stabbing at me from within.
Was it another Agarthan? How can it be watching me from its home world if the gateway isn’t open yet?
The thought triggered multiple ANTs and what-ifs, a storm of growing terror filling my mind. Daggers of fear stabbed at my courage as the buzzing in my ears grew louder. Using the breathing exercises I learned from Dr. Jen, I slowed my heart a little. I tried to ignore the ANTs and pretended to be brave, but I knew everyone in the library could probably see my fear, my cowardice. Gradually, my anxiety faded a little, though I still shook with fright. But then, I felt the red eyes of that evil presence turn and focus on me.
“It knows we’re here,” I whispered to myself, “and it’s coming . . . soon.”